REPS QUESTIONED IGP OVER MISSING GUNS, N1.9m EXHIBITS

Members of the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee,
PAC, yesterday, questioned the Inspector General
of Police, Ibrahim Idris over alleged missing rifles and N1.9 million cash exhibit.

IGP Idrisidris, Chairman of PAC, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Obio/
Akpor, Rivers), said based on the report of the
Auditor General of the Federation of 2010 to
2013, four rifles were missing along with the
cash exhibits with 55 queries raised against
the Nigeria Police Force during the period.
The report said that during the audit
examination of arms and ammunition in 2012,
it was observed that four different brands of
pistol were missing.
The report also said cash exhibits of N928,000
was missing in 2011; N100,000 in 2012 and
N720,000 and a laptop worth N250,000,
totaling N1.998 million, were missing.
Immediately the session started, the IGP
requested that he be allowed to go and attend
to other responsibilities, while his other
officers, led by Assistant Inspector General,
AIG, in charge of budget, Abdulsami Iyaji, respond.

In his response, the AIG said in June 2009, an
officer was issued a pistol and was attacked
and killed by robbers in Lagos, while they went
away with the pistol.
On the second pistol, he said it was issued to
one sergeant, who was declared missing in
action, while the third pistol was given to an
officer on official assignment who lost it during
an attack by robbers.
On the fourth pistol, AIG Iyaji said it was
issued to an inspector in February 2008 and
that he was attacked in his hotel room in
Lagos, where the robbers took the pistol away.
He said the affected inspector was indicted
and sanctioned.

He said the officer involved in the N928,000
sum could not give account of the amount and
was investigated and arraigned in court even
after retirement, while N100,000 cash exhibit
was given to the rightful owner.

According to him, N720,000 was erroneously
stated, as the amount was actually N250,000,
which he said was still available and in
custody of the police.
He said the case of a laptop did not exist as
there was no such record with the force.
The investigative hearing continues next week.